


into the new world

by thrice



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, New Year's Eve, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-02
Updated: 2018-01-02
Packaged: 2019-02-26 13:46:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,454
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13236993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thrice/pseuds/thrice
Summary: Time to paint you a picture, try to tell you theotherstory hidden in the depths of all the other universes. The one that never saw the light of day.(Or a new telling of their narrative.)





	into the new world

Reading this, you'd expect a different Dan and Phil, ones from the current universe. The good kind. The story everybody has learned to adore, the same people you've grown to admire and beam up at from bright, digital screens. But this.  
  
This is different, unfortunately. And here, time to paint you a picture, to try to tell you the other story hidden in the depths of all the other universes. The one that never saw the light of day.  
  
Don't worry, though. They still got red strings tied to their cold pinkies, walking through the flurry. They still got eyes dusted with stars plucked fresh from the night sky, lighting up with every gaze directed towards each other. It's all the same, still there. But different. Somehow.  
  
Here’s how.  
  
Here, snow was cascading down from the clouded sky. Sat in the back of a party filled to the brim with decorations and lights was a different Dan, sinking into a arm chair with his phone out. That boy with the ruffled hair who was much too shy in this universe, looking out into the crown with more longing than disdain.  
  
He says, with silent eyes; _it's been two hours and i haven't moved from this fucking chair._  
  
He says, with silent eyes; _it's been eight years_ (practically so) _and i haven't talked to someone yet._  
  
Chocolate eyes keep darting around the room, noting that every third person was already entangled with somebody else. Two of his own friends, PJ and Jack, were mingling with the other guests, throwing their head back in laughter or offering to fill up their drinks for them.  
  
If you fast forwarded a year from this moment, you'd recall that he would have already had a someone. And that they would have been at a different New Years Eve party, but that would have existed if only they would have taken to a different route, a different universe.  
  
He feels a tap on his shoulder.  
  
“Dan, right?” says the person, and Dan feels obligated to look up.  
  
This is where it begins.  
  
“Yeah,” Dan says. He stares right into the person’s blue eyes. “How’d you know?”  
  
“Jack over there was talking about you,” says the stranger. “He says you two have two of the same classes.”  
  
Dan nods and says, “That we do,” and offers a friendly smile. Those blue eyes remind him a lot of the crashing ocean, but the ocean can't match this kind of piercing, mesmerizing shade of blue.  
  
He snaps out of it.  
  
“Sorry, I’m Phil by the way,” Phil apologizes, and offers him his hand. Dan shakes it, trying to tear his gaze away from his eyes but the task resulting unsuccessful.  
  
“Well, hey, Phil.” Dan says. (There we go.) “I was just texting a friend who wasn't able to make it tonight. Said they had a few assignments to finish for uni.”  
  
“Oh, well, that's too bad. This party has been great for the past 1 hour and 53 minutes that I’ve been here.” Phil adds. There's a certain glimmer in his eyes that hadn't been there, seconds before—  
  
*  
  
Alright, listen. Let's pause the story for a bit. Let's think about what we had just saw-erm, _read._

A certain shine in their eyes is an essential part in every universe. And the admiration, something to always admire. That hasn't changed too.

That will always stay, always in the same levels.

One boy to watch the other shine under the fluorescent lights will remain as interchangeable as this polar universe with dimmed lights and a plethora of people huddled around, extras in this film.

And they will meet always, too. In all different ways and in different kinds of thunderstorms, under the heavy weights of their troubles.  
  
Keep that in mind.  
  
*  
  
—and shone a bit of light into the dark room. Dan decided to smile at this, craters in his cheeks popping out. And he decides to do something that will change the fate of his own story.

“Here,” Dan tells him, offering a seat. “Sit down. You look tired.”

“That I am,” Phil sighs. He places himself down on the armrest.

In some universes, this moment of conversation would have been delayed. One may be more shy than the other. They might not want to talk, and it's up to the other to make it happen. Sometimes it’s the stars’ job to pull it all together.

But their chemistry is never anything different and more than remarkable, and it's no sooner than 11:45 P.M that Phil swivels his head over at the clock and widens his eyes a bit at this time. “It's almost midnight,” He remarks. He offers a half-smile at Dan. “It sucks that I don't have a person to kiss.”

“Hmm,” Dan notices the intense stare that Phil is darting at him, like lasers.

_It just so happens that I don't have anyone either._

And they're silent for another five minutes. Phil absentmindedly drums his fingers on Dan’s knee while Dan’s eyes are glued to the hardwood floor.

“I don't really have anyone myself.” Dan informs him at approximately 11:50. “The last person I dated was two years ago. We— we broke up.”

“Oh,” Phil says.

“Yeah,” Dan clicks his tongue.

Seven minutes to midnight.

*

Another thing about these two is that, like practically every duo in the world, awkwardness ensues. It _will_ ensue. They've already gone past that in every universe, all but two, it’s the hardest to evade. And you can see that there might be some feelings blossoming. Just a little.

This part is the most significant. Watch carefully and you can see both of their eyes lightning up even when they're closed, pressed up together; lit up under the light of fireworks.

*

So. They’ve resumed their normal rhythm of talk, a bit of more flirty undertones woven into the fabric. Dan’s looking Phil up and down as he carves a smirk into his lips.

He can't help himself. Perhaps it's because of an alcohol influence, but he still doesn't tear his brown eyes from Phil’s blue ones.

“So,” Dan says with slurred speech. He keeps moving closer and closer to him,  “You still need someone at midnight?”

Now it's two minutes. Phil straight at Dan’s lips for a split second before going, “Yeah I do,” and offering a duplicated smirk right back.

There’s that smugness that always manages to stick around. It's something they have in common, the two of them. In universe one they've woven that into daily dialogue in front of the camera, complete with a snarky remark. Behind the scenes of it all, however; it’s always complete with a touch and a beaming grin from the both of them.

But in this universe, it's just stupid university students being young and dumb and diving into the waters.

From over behind them a person shouts, “Ten seconds!”  and the two of them rise, making eye contact.

_Nine, now. No- eight. Seven. Six. Five._

“So,” Phil says, inching closer and closer as the clock hands make their way slowly towards the twelve.

Dan puts his drink down on a little table near him, and slides his left hand into his pocket; his right hand fingering his fringe.

 _“So,”_ He says in response.

It's at this point that the clock strikes midnight and 2010 rolls in with a flourish, and everyone finds someone, but they find each other— like they always will; and they tie up together as one. When they pull apart, they smile both with their eyes and with their lips. The sounds of whooping and hollering and cheering. They stand there, stuck as if frozen in time. As if they're frozen in this moment.

Hours later, they’ll depart with each other’s numbers written on their hands.

*

Now you know _this_ story, the one know one else knows about, but it's out there, along with the ten trillions of other universes and worlds to play around with and pour over. In this universe, it's different, but it's still the same. Four months from now they'll be on the road, taking pictures and treasuring their final moments gracing the stage for the last time before looking into their future, one they'll share.

And after reading this hopefully you've opened your eyes to the different universes, and theorize about it all as you can, but that you'd keep one thing in your mind, in your heart, remember this: they’ll always have their own stories, their own becoming; but they'll always have _their_ story of luck. They'll always feel the tugging in their heart when one half has departed halfway across the world every year, because remember. They'll always be tied together, happily.

As one.

**Author's Note:**

> hello talk to me at twt @ warlovers and on tumblr @ thrjce about this mess


End file.
